Xander Kastrop, Max Jillett guilty of Ben Lomond village crime spree

A court has heard two teenagers involved in a burglary spree at a Tasmanian ski village rolled their getaway vehicle, with one of them lucky to escape with his life and suffering serious hand injuries.

Two teenagers involved in a burglary spree at Ben Lomond Alpine Village, where they broke into a number of rooms and facilities to plunder grog and beddings, rolled their getaway vehicle, with one of them left with “muscles hanging out his finger” in the accident.

Legana teen Max Ethan Jillett, 19, and Tranmere’s Xander Liam Koos Kastrop, also 19, both pleaded guilty and were sentenced in Launceston Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Both were charged with 10 offences each: two counts of aggravated burglary, three counts of stealing, four counts of attempted aggravated burglary and one count of burglary.

A third man charged, Newnham’s Austin Mathew Cornish, 20, earlier this month had his charges dropped for lack of evidence linking him to the scene.

All offences occurred on the night of May 25–26 this year.

Jillett and Kastrop entered two accommodation rooms successfully, stealing bedding worth $500, attempted to enter a further four rooms unsuccessfully, and stole a bin and alcohol from Geoffrey Eddington.

Legana teen Max Ethan Jillett, 19. Picture: Facebook

Property and fixtures such as windows were damaged during the duo’s wild night, the court heard.

The court heard during Kastrop’s sentencing hearing that it was his vehicle being used as a getaway and that en route back to Launceston he rolled it in a serious accident.

Kastrop was left with a “serious finger injury”, such that his “muscles were hanging out his finger,” defence lawyer Berivan Kurdistan told the court.

Her client also sustained a nasty head knock, she said.

“The accident itself was quite shocking,” Ms Kurdistan said.

Tranmere teen Xander Liam Koos Kastrop, 19. Picture: Facebook

She said her client was not working currently but hoped to obtain a building apprenticeship.

Kastrop no longer associated with Jillett and Mr Cornish and had only known them briefly, the court was told.

Jillett, meanwhile, was drunk at the time of the offending and had been self-medicating with alcohol due to the recent death of his best friend Harry Tucker, who died in a motorcycle accident at Launceston on April 14, defence lawyer Olivia Jenkins said.

Ms Jenkins said Jillett no longer drank alcohol, was seeking treatment for anxiety and depression, and had just secured employment as of this week.

She said her client and Kastrop had travelled to Ben Lomond on a “spur of the moment” and they had not packed any blankets, hence why they committed the burglaries seeking blankets.

Both teens were fined $1000 and ordered to pay costs and levies of $271.40, but spared the recording of convictions.